“As expected, there was a hateful feeling when some of the most prominent from the Counterjihad movement visited Stockholm.”
That was the description posted by EXPO of today’s rally in downtown Stockholm organized by the English Defence League, Robert Spencer, and Pamela Geller.
The event went off without a major hitch, according to reports from the scene. The following account was collated from live reports by Henrik Ræder Clausen, Nilk, Fjordman, and our Swedish correspondent LN.
The Stockholm police are quoted as saying that the SDL and EDL were peaceful and caused no trouble. Initial Swedish media reports were relatively even-handed, calling the demonstration “Anti-Islamist”.
The police reported that there were about a hundred Counterjihad demonstrators. They also stated that “tens” of counter-demonstrators were arrested, and more arrests are expected in the coming days, due to public order violations. Accounts at the scene said that police employed horses against AFA/Antifa.
The antifas and EXPO had been preparing for today’s event for weeks in advance. Anti-EDL posters appeared all over Stockholm:
This one refers to the EDL as “Breivik’s foot-soldiers”.
There was a gay pride parade in Stockholm this weekend at the same time as the EDL/SION rally:
The Gay Pride people were saying “not in our name” to the EDL. Was anyone aware of the irony of celebrating gay pride alongside a gathering of jihadis and antifas who protested the Counterjihad?
According to reports from the scene, Tommy Robinson’s speech — in which he quoted Winston Churchill — was well-received.
Messages on Twitter said that the violence erupted at the “far-right demo” in Stockholm, and that anti-racism protesters threw bottles at police. In some of the photos, the flag of Imperial Iran was visible in the crowd.
The antifas had coordinated the sale and distribution of large numbers of vuvuzelas, which were to be used to drown out the “fascist” speakers:
Fortunately, the police kept the counter-demonstrators far away from the Counterjihad rally, making it perfectly possible to hear the speakers. It seems that the Swedish media reporters didn’t want to give that impression, however, and focused on the vuvuzela noise.
Isak Nygren, of the Swedish Defence League, sported an “Islamophobic and Proud of It” button when he appeared on camera at today’s rally.
More photos, including one of police restraining the Vuvuzela Brigade, may be found at the EXPO website (text in Swedish).
Final assessment: today’s event saw less trouble than occurred in Aarhus a few months ago. There was better sound, and less disorder.
Antifa FAIL!
